Some Reflections on the Evolution of Medicine

UNLIKE the specialist, who learns more and more about less and less, I belong to that category of medical men who are expected to know less and less about more and more. Throughout my years in general medical practice, while I tried as far as possible to keep abreast of the advances in general medicine, my chief consideration was the individual patient and his reaction to illness. I always felt that to do the best for him it was most essential to have a thorough understanding of his constitution, his mental make-up, and not least a good acquaintance with his relatives, their peculiarities and their attitude towards the medical profession. Because of the diversity of human nature and their constitution,, no two patients can be treated alike. It is one thing to treat a disease, it is another thing to treat the patient. I cannot be expected, therefore, nor do I feel qualified to read an address on any specialized subject, so you are not going to hear from me "anything new under the sun." Rather shall I try to make a few observations of a general character on the subject of medicine as a whole. At this critical period in the history of a noble profession, when changes of a far-reaching nature are impending which will affect the interests of the doctor and patient alike,-I have thought it would not be inappropriate to invite your attention for a short time to some reflections on the evolution of medicine and to a consideration of a few of its future problems. Winston Churchill, in a recent address to The Royal College of Physicians, remarked that "the longer you can look back the further you can look forward." These words might with advantage be borne in mind by those upon whose shoulders rests the responsibility of moulding the minds of the doctor of tomorrow and adapting them to the new conditions that will arise as the outcome of the proposed legislative measures relating to changes in the medical services of this country. In the present-day trend of medicine is there not a danger that so much study and attention are given to a part of the patient that the whole picture is not seen in its proper light and perspective, and is there not much to be said for those who advocate a return to the principles of Hippocrates? Sir William Osler …